Approaching
by Candalith11
Summary: Arthur and Alfred wait for Francis and Matthew to join them for lunch, and while waiting, Alfred decides it's time to share some drastic ideas he's been toying with lately. Arthur does his best to convince the former revolutionary from starting what he is certain would be the approaching acts to a much darker world than the one innocent minds know.


**Hello, General Arthur Kirkland here. I have a second story for you guys. Before you read, please be aware that this story is a one-shot and I have no plans on writing a continuation of this fic. Please review and enjoy the story!**

**Characters:**

**-Alfred F. Jones/America**

**-Arthur Kirkland/England**

**-Matthew Williams/Canada**

**Appearance:**

**-Francis Bonnefoy**

**During a small lunch break at a world meeting, Alfred tells Arthur of his worries and ideas he's had to fix the problems that infect his people and nation, but to his surprise, Arthur shoots them down.**

**Approaching**

The small cafe rested snugly between a large office building and a men's tailor shop on the street in New York City. A few tables sat occupied outside with decorative plants to enhance the feeling of being in nature, though you would never be able to tell by the taxis and buses that drove by at a steady rate of speed. The tables held scattered businessmen and women running to and fro from jobs and errands during the height of the afternoon. Two of them sat at the corner table, waiting for the third and fourth members of their group to meet them there.

"What on earth is taking them so long? We all came from the same building, they have the address and know the way, I mean, we always come here to eat when I host the meeting. So what on earth-"

"Please stop Alfred. You've made your point," Arthur said calmly, pulling a menu off the stand on the table. Alfred frowned.

"Dude, you order the same thing all the time? Why ya lookin' at the menu?" He pulled his tie a bit, putting it back in place after waving his arms around.

"To entertain my mind while we wait." Arthur opened the small booklet and began to scan the breakfast section.

Alfred reached over and pushed the menu down with his index finger. "You could always talk to me. I can find something entertaining for you." He smirked.

Arthur flicked the menu, knocking the American's hand out of the way. "Thank you but no. I've listen to enough of your range of accents at the meeting today, and must do the same tomorrow. Spare my already bleeding ears," He said, looking back at the page before him.

Alfred sighed, slumping a bit back in his chair. He stared blankly at the potted fern that centered the table. He slowly counted the leaves.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Only six.

He counted them again. And once more. He started humming the numbers in a beat, bouncing his knee slightly to keep up with the digits rolling quietly off his tongue. He suddenly stopped, causing the Brit to glance up from the menu.

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"Something just popped into my mind."

Arthur sighed and weighed his options. Alfred would share his thoughts anyway, but showing he cared might help how this afternoon meal will turn out.

"Care to share?" He said, closing the menu. Alfred didn't look up from his blank stare at the plant however.

"Why don't they think about everything that happened?"

Arthur frowned. He was unsure of what Alfred was asking, but had a few ideas forming in the rear of his mind. "Everything that happened?"

"Everything to get them where they are today? They don't realize all the horrible stuff that's happened to make their world today the way it is. It's right there, in front of them. All they have to do is look and learn and they can make the world a better place by just taking the history they know and trying to change the future. And the few that do are just drowned out by the crowd."

Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes to glare at the road sign across the street. Alfred frowned and leaned forward. "What? It's true."

"People don't care about the past Alfred. It's very simple," Arthur said, pulling the menu back up. Alfred frowned and leaned forward, pulling the menu down to the table.

"They should."

Arthur huffed, moving towards Alfred. "When was the last time you asked China about his early days when he started off as a nation?"

Alfred sat back. "I didn't start this conversation to be chastised. That's not what I meant."

"Then better explain yourself. Quickly."

Alfred threw his head back and sighed dramatically. "So many things are going on and no one can agree. I feel like I'm standing at the top of a tall peak, and the people are telling me to climb down different ways, but in the end it's still more dangerous than the other. I just," He rolled his head back up to look Arthur in the eye, "I feel that with my experience as a nation I have a responsibility to help my people learn all they can and help them fix the problems that we face today."

For a long moment the two nations just stared at each other, Alfred questioning and Arthur a faint glower. Arthur broke the stretch of silence.

"Why on earth are you asking me for advice?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Dude, like, because you're old."

"Wanna rephrase that?"

"No."

Arthur sat straighter against his chair. "The truth is Alfred, you know you can't do that. It would expose you as a nation and the domino effect would take place. People ask too many questions and then we have a slow descent into chaos."

"Well yeah-"

"Secondly, people have a right to live out their lives without bothering themselves with the past. Their focus is on the future, what's in front of them, not behind. And certainly not on events they don't remember. For example, how many people know a lot about the war of 1812 and apply what they learn from it in every conversation and action that takes place in their lives?"

Alfred looked at the table, "Not very many."

"Exactly. It's our job to remember and do our best to help politicians and leaders of our nation to avoid mistakes. But they don't listen, because they're human and they see us as an interference in their lives and their success. It's about money and going down in history for them, not survival, like it is for us."

"But-"

"And keep our problems away from the people as much as possible, to ensure that they can lives out their lives in some sort of peace." Arthur shot a stern look at Alfred. Alfred curled his lip and shook his head.

"It will all just crash and burn, everything will go down hill. Then what, where will we be then?"

"The end of an era. Then a new one will start. One of these days it will truly be the end. But until then we keep going and build something new," Arthur paused as the waitress came over with glasses of water for them. Arthur took a sip from his. "That's how it is."

Alfred glared at the fern, as if blaming it for the words Arthur was saying, though knowing in the back of his mind he was the one to start the conversation. "It can't stay that way."

Arthur flicked the menu open and looked at the lunch section. "It always does. No matter who tries to change it."

Alfred felt the smoldering embers inside him catch a flare. "I'll change it."

Arthur sent another glare across the table. "It won't make a difference."

"Why not?" Alfred shot back.

"Because it never does." Arthur said solemnly, not removing his eyes from the menu before him.

Alfred sent a look of shards at the Brit. "It has to. There is no continuing like this, not anymore. I won't allow it."

Arthur sighed, but Alfred continued. "I know what I'm doing, I've done things like this before."

Arthur's expression turned dark. Even darker than he had seen it before. "You may fight your battles against other nations, even against yourself Alfred, but fighting the nature of man and civilization will certainly be lead to your own death," Arthur continued to speak as he stood gathering his briefcase, "And it may lead to the end of many of those that you care about."

Alfred watched Arthur take a few steps to the approaching waiter and handed her a few bills. He felt another hand on his shoulder and looked up into his brother's eyes.

"What happened? Why's Arthur leaving?" Matthew asked gently. Alfred's eyes glanced over where the Brit was hailing a taxi, followed by Francis. He must have noticed the dark face Arthur wore.

"I may have said a few things to irritate him. Thoughts. Nothing more than idle imaginings."

Matthew sat across from him in Arthur former seat. "I thought that you had said those ideas were just ideas. Why would you tell him if they weren't"

Alfred stared at the waitress now grabbing a new menu for Matthew. "I think it's time some ideas become actions."

**That's all folks. Thank you for reading and again, please review!**


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